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Responding to the call for voluntary support, Sony Electronics has donated a number of Sony Readers to Fisher Houses at military and VA medical centers in 10 locations around the country. Two of the Sony Reader devices have been sent to the Fisher House facility located at the Tripler Medical Center.
The Zachary and Elizabeth M. Fisher Houses provide a "home away from home" for families of patients receiving care at military and VA medical centers. At these facilities, families can get some of the comforts and conveniences of home, while helping their loved ones to recover.
"Many of the families of patients in military facilities are facing significant challenges and we wanted to contribute in some small way to simplifying their situations," said Ron Hawkins, Sony Vice President in charge of the Reader program. "The Reader team believed that our product, providing the ability to download popular novels, favorite classics, and other books, might provide a little comfort for folks in unfamiliar circumstances."
About the size and shape of a small paperback novel and weighing only a few ounces, the Sony Reader carries up to 80 electronic books at a time, and its exceptional battery life allows reading up to 7,500 pages without a recharge. Using the companion eBook service from Connect, users can download popular fiction, non-fiction, business books, classics and other material. "This makes it easy for our users to have multiple books and other reading material available to them wherever they may be - all in one pocket-sized package," Hawkins continued.
Making it easier for a patient's family to be with them is what the Fisher House is all about and through this donation, Sony hopes to help Fisher House achieve that mission. The houses were founded by the Fisher family because of their belief that the support a patient's family can give by their very presence is a powerful medicine in its own right. The homes are usually located within walking distance of treatment facilities or they provide transportation. There are Fisher Houses near most major military medical centers in the U.S.
Annually, Fisher Houses serve more than 8,500 families, and have provided more than two million days of lodging to family members since the program's launch in 1990. When compared with the cost of nearby lodgings, it is estimated that Fisher Houses - which typically charge less than $10 per family, per day, with many locations offering rooms at no cost - have saved residents more than $60 million since the program began.
The Sony program is designed to provide busy family members with convenient access to popular reading material and a portable solution for situations where book storage may be limited. More than 12,000 books can be accessed virtually instantly over the Internet by using a PC and the Sony Connect eBook service. Books downloaded from the service are then transferred to the Reader and can be enjoyed anywhere - at the Fisher House or in a hospital waiting room, for example.
"We know that family members need to focus on their loved-ones' recovery, but we hope the Readers might provide one option for relaxing a little when they have the opportunity," Hawkins said.
Join Evan and Kari on Greater Good TV every Saturday and Sunday at 4:30pm on KGMB 9. Greater Good Radio airs every Saturday and Wednesday on 1420 AM and online at www.greatergoodradio.com.
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